July 09, 2014

Does it happen to you that some week just turn out to be intense cooking week when creativity flows and everything seems to come together perfectly? It happened last week, weekend actually.

It seemed like every meal we cooked had a new element or a new dish. We all took turns cooking as well so that worked well too.

This asparagus was cooked during that time for a dinner with friends who were moving away. The combination of panch phoron, garlic and asparagus went so well together, I couldn't believe I hadn't made this before.

In other summer news, we are getting ready for a big trip. We all are traveling to India. I have traveled with one of the boys at a time, but two together? Any tips on how to keep them occupied during the flight?

July 03, 2014

It's World Cup time! How many of you are watching the World Cup? Lil A was just born the last time World Cup came around. This time, he is kicking the football (yes I said football not soccer!) around. Mostly, the kicking happens in the backyard, but sometimes he sneaks the ball inside too.

We have a long corridor and he will spend a lot of time playing there. But just yesterday he kicked the ball high in the living room and one of the vases knocked over.

He was immediately contrite and said "can I go to the backyard now?" It was 8 in the morning! Needless to say, kids are enjoying the summer and spending a lot of time outside - playing, running, biking.

This mint and corn pulao captures the flavors of summer - fresh, light, and aromatic. There are probably many versions of mint pulao recipes. In this, I don't grind mint into a paste, rather it is chopped and rice is cooked with it. Result is a heady aroma of mint that is absorbed in each grain of rice.